Universitat Internacional de Catalunya
Management of Scientific Information (IMM2)
Teaching staff
Dra. Andrea Miranda Mendizabal: aemiranda@uic.es (project)
Introduction
The fundamental purpose of this subject is based on the confirmation of the great part of medical professionals, they have difficulty in selecting and reading biomedical information critically. And that happens precisely when access to information has become easier.
The explosion of information provided by the Internet is an opportunity (and also a challenge) to transform data into knowledge that can be used in clinical practice.
The purpose of this subject is to promote the skills of locating, selecting and understanding the best medical information.
This course makes it easier for us to be more variable when it comes to ask questions, formulate structurally, identify the best answers and evaluate according to their degree of credibility.
IMM2 promotes autonomous thinking and a healthy critical attitude towards medical information. The skills acquired in the subject will multiply our ability to read and understand medical research, to apply throughout the career and in future professional practice.
Almost three quarters of IMM2 is approached with very practical active methodology:
- Skills Laboratories (LH)
- Case Methods (MC) and
- Team project: it is the axis on which all the learning revolves. The operational teams guided by a tutor that encourages the integration and practice of what is being worked on in the LH and MC.
Objectives
Bases of medical knowledge/ “Evidence based medicine”
1. Knowing how scientific and medical knowledge is generated.
2. Becoming familiar with the strengths and weaknesses of clinical research.
3. Identifying the main types of clinical research study designs with their applications, advantages and limitations.
4. Knowing the main models of critical research synthesis.
Formulating questions and searching for information
1. Learning to formulate structured clinical questions.
2. Knowing and learning to use the main database of research studies.
3. Knowing the main characteristics of the different sources of information.
4. Learning to use secondary sources of information that synthesize and critically evaluate the available information.
Critical evaluation of scientific information
1. Knowing the main approaches for the evaluation of the quality and risk of bias of the main study designs, integrating them into the process of answering the clinical question.
2. Learning to evaluate the quality of the available scientific information
Competences/Learning outcomes of the degree programme
- 06 - Develop professional practice with other health professionals, acquiring teamwork skills.
- 31 - Understand, critically evaluate and know how to use sources of clinical and biomedical information to obtain, organize, interpret and communicate scientific and health care information.
- 32 - Know how to use information and communication technology in clinical, therapeutic, preventive health care and research.
- 34 - Ability for critical thinking, creativity and constructive skeptisim with a focus on research within professional practice.
- 35 - Understand the importance and limitations of scientific thinking in the study, prevention and treatment of disease.
- CB-5 - To transmit in a clear and unambiguous way to a specialised or non-specialised audience, the results of scientific and technological research projects and innovation from the field of the most advanced innovation, as well as the most important concepts which they are based on.
Learning outcomes of the subject
It is intended for the students to be able to acquire and apply the basic tools that facilitate them to locate and understand the methodology used in the studies published in different biomedical journals, as well as interpret the validity, scope and limitations of their results.
At the end of this subject and after a given clinical situation, the students must be able to:
1. Prepare a health decision question in a structured way.
2. Select the most useful resources to locate relevant information.
3. Develop efficient search strategies.
4. Identify the design of identified studies and types of publications.
Teaching and learning activities
In blended
· CASE METHOD·
Bases of medical knowledge/”Evidence Based Medicine”
In front of abstract and diverse articles: recognizing what type of article it is and the type of design that it responds to.
Establish the most appropriate study designs in a specific case
Formulating questions and searching for information
Ask properly structured questions from different clinical scenarios.
From these questions, being able to decide where to look and which search strategy may be more appropriate for the resolution of these scenarios.
Critical evaluation of scientific information
Critically evaluate different study designs using current scientific publications as an example. Students will complete structured critical readings of at least one clinical trial and a systematic review.
Presentation of the different proposals for the publication in biomedical journals of the research results, depending on their study design. Discussion of your need and its scope.
· COMPUTER LABORATORY PRACTICES ·
Information research: available resources, possible strategies and research engines. How to locate the main study designs?
Advanced information research (PubMed)
Evaluation systems and criteria
In blended
35% Continuous evaluation
- Partial Exam: Weight: 10% of the total mark
- Project mark . Weight : 25% of the total*
- Class contribution, implication in the project, tutorial classes follow-up, etc.
*Final mark of the Project will come from the written (5 pages maximum) and oral (date to be confirmed) Project presentations.
65% Final Exam
Multiple answer exam (test type). Evaluation: MIR type. The Exam multiple answer test revision will be done in groups.
Note: You will need a minimum mark of 5 over 10 in your Final Exam to be able to do the mean between all your marks. Attendance to practical lab classes (IT) is compulsory.
Final evaluation criterion: having positive evaluations in theoretical and practical aspects and also a distinguished continuous evaluation will be reflected in the final mark gradually: as a B (‘notable’) (from 7 to 8.9), an A (‘sobresaliente’) (9 or more) and, excepcionally, with distinction (‘matrícula de honor’), in agreement with the rest of the current rules.
Bibliography and resources
- Dan Mayer, Essential Evidence-Based Medicine. 1. ESSENTIAL. EVIDENCE-BASED. MEDICINE . Dan. Mayer, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge.
- Users' Guides to the Medical Literature: A Manual for Evidence-Based Clinical Practice, Second Edition (Jama & Archives Journals)
- Medicina Basada en la Evidencia. Fisterra. Atención Primaria en la red. Disponible en: http://www.fisterra.com/mbe/index.asp
- Cómo se prueban los tratamientos. Disponible en: http://www.jameslindlibrary.org/tt-downloads.html
- Evidence-Based Practice Workbook, 2nd edition. Blackwell Publishing. BMJ Books.
- Grimes DA, Schulz KF. An overview of clinical research: the lay of the land. Lancet. 2002;359(9300):57-61. PMID: 11809203.
- How to Read a Paper. The Basics of Evidence-Based Medicine and Healthcare. Greenhalgh, T. 6ª Ed. 2019. ISBN-13: 978111948474r
Evaluation period
- E1 14/05/2021 11:00h
- E2 05/07/2021 11:30h